California

California Attorney General Kamala Harris on Monday listened to homeowners' stories about how much they were struggling to make their mortgage payments and get their bank loans modified.

Darryl Davis, one of the Mission Economic Development Agency's clients, described his nightmare saying he and his two children were turned out from their home following around a year of negotiations with the lender.

The U2 guitarist The Edge, originally named as David Evans, has finally lost a long running battle with the California's coastal development agency over property rights. As per reports, the well known guitarist has been pressing to build five mansions overlooking Malibu, Calif., which has been rejected by the officials.

The commission was said to have voted 8-4 to turn down the well talked about 156-acre project in Malibu on Thursday, referring it as a potential threat to the environment of the locality.

On Wednesday, California lawmakers passed a new budget that helped in overcoming the state's $9.6 billion shortfall with suspect accounting plans and revenue raisers that violate the state constitution

The new budget was rejected by Jerry Brown of Democratic Government and he said that he will continue to negotiate with Republicans. Mr. Brown wants Republicans lawmakers to put a five-year extension of the state's two-year temporary income, sales and vehicle tax hikes on a special election ballot.

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University, discussed the major problems which made California stand at the 48th position among 50 states as per the ranking in “Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom”.

It’s believed that the war for California's budget plan is not going to end soon. Though California lawmakers’ nod to the main bills of the budget plan on Wednesday, to cut out $9.6 billion deficit, it won’t be easy for the Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown to get an approval from the Republicans.

Though a handful of Republicans opposed the new plan produced by Mr. Brown, two-third majority for opposing the bill, as per a constitutional change approved by voters last November, could not be achieved.

On Tuesday, California unveiled its budget. Law makers have reduced billions from education but the budget will allow them to keep collecting their paychecks.

Voters had assigned a deadline to present balanced budget last November, therefore legislatures were under pressure to pass a balanced budget and send it to Governor Jerry Brown by June 15 otherwise they will lose their jobs.

A federal judge, Vaughn Walker appealed to declare Preposition 8 as unauthorized, which prohibited marriage among people belonging to the same sex. The appeal was supported by another judge, which seemed to give a strong blow on the then active law preposition 8.

Many were waiting for the final results and the announcements of the state officials regarding the $512 million contract of the main portion of a new prison medical facility in Stockton, which has finally been awarded to a joint venture of Clark Construction Group of Bethesda, Md., and McCarthy Building Cos. of St. Louis on Tuesday.

The California Health Care Facility, Stockton will be operational from 2013 and according to the estimations done, the project will cost more than $900 million to provide long-term care to 1,722 mentally and physically ill state prisoners.

The people in California conceded the Proposition 8, which states that marriage is only meant for opposite sex. It was in response to a proposal which was sanctioned few months ago permitting the gay couples’ marriage. Preposition 8’s appeal, is a setback for gay rights organization.

Federal District Court for the Northern District of California’s Judge Vaughn R. Walker favoured David Boies and Theodore B. Olson the legal advocates, working under Mr. Griffin’s group, when they challenged the law in 2009 for the gay’s rights.

The Senate of California has rejected any further increases in the taxes in their state. They have blocked a tax solution to the deficit. This has evoked a reaction in the democrats as well. They are now of the view to expand the powers of taxations in the vicinity.

This marked the beginning of round 2 of the feud in the state budget. It included letters being read from Sheriffs as well as parliamentary gamesmanship and taxpayers. The commission however was not able to make it as desired changes for the stunting of funds.